Docs of Malar Hospital, Chennai, transplant heart successfully
Daughter of R. Sudhakar, an employee in Andhra Bank, Mahalakshmi was suffering from a heart condition called ‘idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy' since last 10 years. The problem was noticed when she was 2 years old and it was medically managed since
Nellore: A team of doctors in Fortis Malar Hospital at Chennai gave new lease of life to a 13-year-old girl Mahalakshmi of Nellore by successfully performing heart transplantation at their hospital few days ago.
Daughter of R. Sudhakar, an employee in Andhra Bank, Mahalakshmi was suffering from a heart condition called ‘idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy’ since last 10 years. The problem was noticed when she was 2 years old and it was medically managed since then.
On the advice of the doctors treating her, parents approached noted heart surgeon Dr K.R. Balakrishnan of Fortis Malar Hospital as her condition started deteriorating in the last couple of years.
“She was complaining of severe abdominal pain resulting in liver congestion when she arrived at the hospital. She was breathless and bedridden with EF (pumping capacity of the heart) is just 15 per cent. She was immediately registered in Tamil Nadu organ donors register and necessary drugs were administered,” Dr Balakrishnan said. He said that she developed complications in lungs and kidneys during the wait for transplantation.
According to Dr Balakrishnan, who got 30 successful heart transplantation surgeries to his credit, a suitable heart was found and the surgery was conducted in time to save her precious life. The heart of a 24 year old brain dead patient, who met with an accident, was used to save her life.
Dr Balakrishnan said that heart transplantation is a complicated exercise since the heart will be useless if entire process including removing the heart is not completed within four hours. He underlined the need to spread awareness on organ donation while pointing to five lakh people losing their lives every year due to dearth for organs in the country. He reminded that the organ donation give patients a second lease of life.
“Organ donation in our country is still at nascent stage. India has a rate of less than 0.2 donors per one million population much lower than the global average of 0.8 per cent,” said Dr Suresh Rao, head of the Department Cardiac Anaesthesia and Critical Care, Fortis Malar.
A beaming Mahalakshmi said that she has no complications now and she is getting ready to join in Class VII. Her father Sudhakar thanked the employees of Andhra Bank across the country for donating Rs 21 lakh to save his daughter’s life.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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